Metasonix has decided to use their exclusive tube synth modules for a new piece of gear: the world’s first semi modular tube synth, S-1000 Wretch Machine. It contains two VCOs, a VCF, a VCA, two envelope generators, two LFOs, and a wave shaper/noise source. As far as the specs found on the net, they have enhanced their old tube modules. The VCOs can now deliver both saw tooth and square wave. The new tube VCF can be used in low pass and it two different band pass settings.

Sounding like nothing else, the Metasonix modules have been the ultimate analogue gear. Putting them together will probably be a must have for analogue die hards. But there is a price. The first is spelled $2,500 US, the second is that it only runs on Hz/V CV standard used in some old Korg and Yamaha machines. The third problem is the limited range of only two octaves for the control voltages. It can be enlarged to a range from 33 to above 2 000 Hz by manual octave switching, but I guess such thing does not matter if you want the roughest analogue synth sound that can be found. In earlier reviews on their modules there have been comments like “nothing sounds like this unless it is broken” and “not for the fainthearted”.

Doepfer, http://www.doepfer.de/home_e.htm , has announced a quadrature FM VCO. It is smaller in price, power and size than the big Zeroscillator that Cyndustries now has presented. And the Germans say that FM synthesis really can’t be made by analogue gear, it has to be digital to be stable enough. My guess is that the Californian guys at Cyndustries do not agree. Doepfer are also planning to release a new filter based on switched capacitors, which can give slopes of 30 or 60 db/octave. But it will only go into production if they get enough pre-orders. There are reasons to wonder if it will happen, as the Doepfer company themselves describe the sound as “a bit boring”. Sound examples will be on their website soon.

Doepfer also announced that because low demand they have stopped producing some modules; the A-139 headphone amplifier, the A-197 Analogue Meter and the A-191 midi/CV converter. They are selling them now while stock lasts, so if you want a nice glowing voltage meter in the synth rig you had better make an order right away. I have just mounted one among my CV-modules replacing the hand held multi-meter I used before. It really looks nice among the flickering LEDs.

But while Doepfer stops producing their analogue meter module, Blacet, http://www.blacet.com/ , has released a new meter module. It is a small LED meter showing both positive and negative voltages. All assembled the price will be $93 US.

Happy New Year everybody...Last edited by mosc on Fri Feb 10, 2006 9:24 am; edited 1 time in total

And the Germans say that FM synthesis really can’t be made by analogue gear, it has to be digital to be stable enough. My guess is that the Californian guys at Cyndustries do not agree.

Actually there are a couple of ways to get Chowning FM tones out of analog gear.
If you have quadrature sine source (like from a self oscillating multimode filter with separate LP and BP out) all you need is a VC cross fader. Simply cross fade between the sine and cosine with another sine oscillator as the modulator. Or if you have a VC phaser, process the carrier sine with the modulator sine controlling the phase shift.
Both these techniques don't allow for 'overmodulated' fm effects but they work well to get the usable spectra. The modulator can be phase synced to the carrier for precise integer ratios.

Note: these techniques will probably not work with vactoral based phase shifters or xfaders, which don't work well at audio rates.

I don't know what techniques Cyndustries use, but that Zero Oscillator looks very nice.

Actually, both Cyndustries and Doepfer annonces VCOs with sine and cosine outputs. But the price ranges are different. Doepfer will sell it at around 100 EUR, a bit more in USD. The Cyndustries is 650 USD.
But it looks really interesting, with a VCA for modulation in the VCO itself. I also like their idea of producing it in many different standards (MOTM, Frack-Rack, Doepfer/AS and so on).
The possibility of combining modules from different producers is tempting to me. So I hope more multi system modules will follow.
Per Wikström

I think there are hope anyway. Livewire is out now with a VCO with complex waveshaping and FM possibilities, going towards hard electronic sounds.
And I still wait for the Doepfer Dynamic VCO that, considering the audio files, can be a great piece of gear.
What I really long for is a company that copy/mimic the core of the extremely expensive Buchla VCO. It is the hart of the Buchla sound, together with the vactrol low pass gate that already has been copied with good resaults.
Per

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